yucky protein drinks...

I only like the ones  you mix with milk, too - I have the Matrix protein powders from Barix - I have chocolate, vanilla and a plain - I usually mix the chocolate and vanilla together to make a mocha - add milk and ice and blend til thick - while it does not taste like a milkshake it is rather good - at least to me.

I keep the Da Vinci sugar free syrups on hand too - I have pineapple, coconut, caramel, vanilla and chocolate. I mix milk, pineapple and coconut with the plain powder & ice for a pina colada type drink.

Experiment - you'll find things you like, but definitely buy small sizes (if possible****il you find something that really sits well with you. I have several items in my cupboard that really need to be trashed because they looked good but tasted like crap - LOL!!

And trust me your tastes keep changing as you continue your journey - its really weird.

I don't like hardly any protein drink. I have struggled with this for years. I don't drink them much anymore, but when I do, I use Unjury.

I will put some chocolate in with cold coffe to make a mocha. I use the unflavored in tea, crystal light etc.

Good luck, sometimes, you have to just drink it like medicine, if you can't find one you like. I did that for years. Just remembered it was a necessity, not a craving or want.

Everyone mentions TASTE, does anyone not have a problem with the TEXTURE??   I went on a kick to get more digestible protein in about 2 mos. again, figured I'd give powders another go round, try harder, ya'll know the drill.....OMG, I feel like I'm drinking SAND!   It gets stuck at the back of my throat and then I gag and throw it up.   So I tried the blender to make them smooth and foamy, and my belly blows up like a balloon.   Using eggface's recipes, barix recipes, and stuff I find online.  Nothing's clicking so far...if you've got a surefire recipe, send it my way and I'll try it cause I've got Unjury unflavored (which to me has a horrid flavor, the smell makes me nauseous when I take off the lid) and Chocolate cans sitting here that I want to use.    Muscle milk and Profect I can do but their digestibility ratings are not as high as Unjury; but if I can't gag down Unjury then that rating doesn't matter, now does it?   HELP ME OUT SHAKE GURUS!!

My Favorite is UnJury Strawberry Sorbet made with Crystal Light Lemonade, but have you checked out the World According to Eggface's protein shake recipes. It looks like there is one for just about every taste interest  . . . http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/06/my-favorite-protein-shake-recipes.html

I actually started mixing up and liking protein drinks BEFORE surgery, only to find when I came home from the hospital that I wanted to hurl even thinking about them, let alone smelling or tasting.

The best advice I got and took was to get a Magic Bullet.  I put 3-4 ice cubes in the mug, then either soymilk, almond milk or skim milk, then the powder, then mix-ins.  Pulse it about 10 times, then mix it steady for no more than 15 seconds, and it crushes the ice perfectly and has a nice frosty milkshake texture.

I've used a lot of the advice from bariatriceating.com, and in fact their proteins ARE not bad tasting (I use the Caramel Latte one pretty much daily).  The Peanut Butter cookie one is pretty good, a lot of people really like the Dutch Chocolate Cake.  They have 30 grams of protein which is pretty darn good. 

Here are my favorite recipes so far...

Peanut Butter cookie protein, 1 or 2 inches of banana, almond milk
Strawberry Kiwi protein (4everfit, 25 grams of protein), a strawberry or two, soymilk
Nature's Best natural chocolate protein (a whopping 50 grams of protein), 2 tbs sugar free chocolate syrup, skim milk
Caramel Latte protein with soymilk - I can take the Caramel Latte without additional flavors
Designer Whey Vanilla protein, 1 inch of banana, 1/4 tsp artificial rum flavouring, nutmeg (tastes like eggnog), skim milk

I like the taste of the almond milk the best, I think, and it agrees with my digestive system, but I more often use soymilk, as it has slightly lower carbs and higher protein.

I also bought a few sugar-free syrups, for when I just can't face the shake alone :-).  DaVinci Huckleberry is good, as is Torani (sp?) vanilla.

Here's the 2nd best piece of advice, this is from Susan Maria from bariatriceating.com, and I really am trying to live by this - she says, if the surgeon told her she had to eat a DIRT milkshake every day, after going through all that we did, her response would be "how many ounces".

Good luck with it, hope this helps!

I like the Low Carb Slimfast (it only comes in cans).  I also like adding Jillian Michaels Whey protein to No Sugar Added Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate. 

thank you all for the advice and many different suggestions...

I am going to try some of your creations and visit the website.. I have one question though when mixing bananas do you freeze them and then put them in cause I tried a shake and it was just liek mush with the banana going to the bottom..

I don't have a problem with it, but I don't use very much banana, just an inch or two provides a lot of flavor.  The magic bullet grinds it up to nothing, in just a few seconds.  I've heard that some people freeze their bananas first, and i keep thinking I'll try it, but I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Elizabeth

I didn't like the taste or texture of the powder protein drinks and I was lucky to find the EAS Myoplex Carb Control Protein drinks in French Vanilla, Strawberry Creme, Choc Fudge and Rich Dark Choc (I've found them at Wal-Mart- 4 pk for a little less than $5). They are 11 oz and it's about 110 cals and 17 grams of protein.  

I stocked up on powdered mixes before I realized that I really didn't like them much and had to almost choke them down.  I just can't throw them out so I've been mixing a scoop of the powder protein mix in with the EAS drinks (choc fudge is my favorite) whenever I have a protein drink. Today I had one for lunch- mixed a scoop of powder with an EAS drink for 210 calories, 4.5 fat and 32 grams of protein! It kept me satisfied and the creaminess and flavor of the EAS drink "masked" chalky texture/flavor of the powder mix.

I've also heated up soup/broth on the stove and added unflavored protein powder to it (only do this once you remove it from the heat or it could get clumpy/coagulated).  You will want to add the powder a little at a time and stir it really well with a whisk to break up any and all clumps. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to mix the powder with the liquid prior to heating it because there is usually a temp threshold with the powders I've found.  Ideally, I'd like to shake the heck out of the liquid and powder in a closed container but DO NOT do this with heated liquids because heat expands and the container will explode and you could get burnt pretty badly.

I am bound and determined to use up the powder mixes I have!! :)